LOCAL NEWS

UPDATED: 3 MARCH 2023 AT 4.53 PM

Four people were arrested in Washington state for drug trafficking, according to US Attorney Nick Brown.

A total of seven people have been indicted in the Western District of Washington. The charges stem from an investigation that began with a drug trafficking ring in Pittsburgh, PA.

All defendants have been remanded in custody. Those arrested in Seattle are currently being held at the federal detention center at SeaTac.

“This investigation shows how drug-trafficking rings interact across the country — drugs entering Arizona are then transferred to distributors as geographically diverse as Seattle and Pittsburgh,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Prosecutors and law enforcement here have worked together to arrest and prosecute the key players responsible for hundreds of thousands of potentially fatal doses.”

“Cartel activity of this nature is of particular concern to HSI, and we continue to prioritize investigations into individuals and organizations illegally introducing lethal fentanyl and firearms into our communities,” said Special Agent Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI’s Pacific operations. Northwest. “We cannot stop as innocent lives are at risk.”

Firefighters extinguish a large fire in a vacant commercial building in Seattle

According to Justice Department documents, Bryce Hill, a key member of the drug conspiracy, was arrested in Seattle on January 11, 2023. Hill has been charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Investigators seized five firearms — including assault weapons and those with extended magazines — from Hill’s Seattle residence.

The police seized around 27 kilograms of fentanyl pills in Hill’s apartment, which were in the suitcases they had traveled in from Arizona. Law enforcement also seized more than $387,000 in cash.

“This organization sold its illegal narcotics throughout the United States, from the Southwest border to the Pacific Northwest and all the way to the East Coast,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division.

“Our federal partnerships have once again proven invaluable in defeating these organizations and holding their members accountable. According to DEA labs, 6 out of 10 counterfeit pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. With the seizure in a Seattle apartment, our partnerships saved 162 000 lives,” Galvan continued.